Supreme Court stops CBI from arresting Ashok Todi

New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) The Supreme Court Tuesday stopped the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from arresting Kolkata industrialist Ashok Todi for his alleged role in his son-in-law Rizwanur Rehman’s mysterious death last year.A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice Aftab Alam, however, asked Todi to appear before the Kolkata metropolitan court on Dec 1 in response to the arrest warrant issued by the court earlier.

The bench also directed the Kolkata Metropolitan Court to consider Todi’s bail plea on the day he appears before it.

The bench also decided to hear Friday a joint plea by Todi’s brother Pradeep Todi and brother-in-law Anil Saraogi, seeking similar relief.

The apex court on Oct 13, on another plea by Todi, had halted his trial saying that unless the Calcutta High Court takes a final decision on his lawsuit challenging the CBI’s charge sheet, indicting him for abetting Rehman’s suicide.

The apex court had also directed the high court to adjudicate Todi’s lawsuit as expeditiously as possible.

While halting Todi’s trial, the apex court, however, had given the Kolkata Metropolitan Court freedom to frame charges against Todi. Framing of charges is the first step in beginning the trial against an accused.

The Kolkata Metropolitan Court had asked Todi and the other accused to appear before it Oct 27. But as Todi failed to appear before the trial court, it issued arrest warrant against him.

Besides Todi, the CBI has named in its Sep 22 charge sheet six others for their alleged role in abetting Rizwanur’s suicide.